Alternate Best Actor 1970: Results

5. Jean Louis Trintignant in The Conformist- Trintignant fails to find consistency in his performance, and simply gives an uninteresting portrayal of a character with potential.

Best Scene: Marcello watches the assassination.

4. Alejandro Jodorowsky in El Topo- Jodorowsky gives an effective performance as a cool headed gunfighter then a repentant monk, but he never stands out past his own direction.

Best Scene: El Topo creates a new exit out of the cave.

3. Peter Boyle in Joe- Boyle gives a good performance as working class loud mouth by showing the man behind the bluster, but the film's shortcomings keep him from giving a great performance.

Best Scene: Joe's introduction.

2. Albert Finney in Scrooge- Finney overplays a moment here and there, but his alternate take on Ebenezer Scrooge does manage to work for the most part.

Best Scene: The redemption medley.

1. Gian Maria Volontè in Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion- The only alternate that really brought much excitement for me is Volontè's work. Volontè gives an interesting and entertaining performance that cleverly manages to make sense of his character's seemingly random behavior.

Best Scene: The inspector openly confesses to his crime.

Overall Rank:

1. George C. Scott in Patton
2. Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces
3. Gene Hackman in I Never Sang For My Father
4. Gian Maria Volontè in Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
5. Alec Guinness in Cromwell
6. Melvyn Douglas in I Never Sang For My Father
7. Albert Finney in Scrooge
8. Ron Moody in Twelve Chairs
9. Peter Boyle in Joe
10. Robert Mitchum in Ryan's Daughter 
11. Donald Sutherland in MASH
12. Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man
13. Telly Savalas in Kelly's Heroes
14. Paul Newman in Sometimes A Great Notion
15. James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope
16. Richard Harris Cromwell
17. Alejandro Jodorowsky in El Topo
18. Clint Eastwood in Kelly's Heroes
19. Elliot Gould in MASH
20. Frank Langella in Twelve Chairs
21. Ryan O'Neal in Love Story
22. Alan Arkin in Catch-22
23. Michael Sarrazin in Sometimes a Great Notion 
24. Dennis Patrick in Joe
25. Kenneth Nelson in The Boys in the Band
26. Jean Louis Trintignant in The Conformist
27. Christopher Jones in Ryan's Daughter

Next Year: 1970 Supporting